What Was And What Is
by Tragic Ophelia
Summary: Would you give up everything for that one person, that one true love? (Complete One Parter)


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A/N: Guess who has way too much time? I wrote this last night, at 10:30 or so, before my big standardized test! But I like it. And try to guess who Charlie is! And if there are obscene 80's music references, ignore it. And you'll see Kaitlyn in Reflections, too.

Rory Gilmore smiled. Her wedding was in two weeks. Unlike Louise, or any other Chiltonite, for that matter, she was getting married for love. Well, Henry had married Lane out of love. Most of the other former Chilton students had married because their families wanted it.

As she slipped into the coffee shop and took her place in line, she thought about everything that had happened. She had met Charlie, her fiance, while she was at Harvard. He was a few years older and went to another Boston area college. Charlie was funny, intelligent, loving, witty, artistic, and above all, he never refused her coffee. That was definitely a must for a Gilmore Girl, as Lorelai had said once. As she took a seat at a table, Rory turned her attention to wedding plans.

"Rory?" said a voice behind her. She turned around, and stared at the person who had said her name.

"Tristan?" 

"Hey Mare. How are you?" Tristan DuGrey asked, standing a few feet away. He looked very much the same. He still had piercingly blue eyes, tousled blonde hair, and an athletic build. Rory jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him on the cheek, and led him back to her table.

"I'm good. What about you? What's it like being Tristan DuGrey now?" Rory teased.

"I'm good. It's been awhile, you know..."

"Yeah. Junior year, Chilton Shakespeare Fest, I guess. Military school did you good. Wow. Can you really believe it's been that long?"

"No, I can't actually. So, how long are you in Hartford?" Tristan asked.

"Oh, just a few weeks. I have to go back to Boston at the beginning of February. What about you?" Rory asked, sipping her coffee. 

"I just moved back to the area. What college did you end up going to?"

"Harvard, of course... You went to Yale, right?" Rory asked.

"No. I went to Princeton. I'm kind of surprised you didn't go there, too. Aren't the Gilmores Yale alumni?"

"Yes, they are. And the Haydens are Princeton alumni, but I didn't want anything to do with them... So I went to Harvard," Rory said. "You are an attorney, right?"

"Of course. I'm working at the DuGrey family company. What else is expected of me?" 

"Never thought of it that way," Rory teased. "But Tristan, you could've gotten a brain."

"No, really?" Tristan said, feigning ignorance. "And here I thought I had to be a playboy all my life. You sound like my sister." He stared at her a few minutes. She was still as beautiful as ever. Her hair was pulled into a French twist, and she was wearing a light blue sweater set with a black skirt. She still dressed conservatively, even though it was a Saturday. "So, what are you doing, Ror?"

"Working at Time Magazine. Or AOL Time Warner. Whatever you want to call them," Rory said. "Otherwise known as Hell."

"I thought that was Chilton!"

"No. Chilton was Mini-Hell. Harvard was Pre-Hell. Time is Hell."

"Ah, I see. It fits, you know."

"What does?" Rory asked.

"You working at Time. It just seems like something you would do," Tristan explained.

"Oh," she said. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, Rory sipping her coffee. Tristan ordered a herbal tea, and the pair sat in silence for a few more minutes before anyone spoke.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Rory asked. Tristan felt a small spark of hope... maybe they could go out. Of course, maybe she wouldn't be like he remembered, and he'd be wishing for the image he still had. "Tristan?"

"Oh, sorry. No, I'm still yours, Mare," Tristan said, smirking.

"Oh lord... I can see you still haven't gotten over yourself," Rory teased.

"What about you?" Tristan asked. Rory opened her mouth to answer, then suddenly grinned. Jumping out of her chair, she almost ran to someone behind Tristan. When he looked back, he saw Rory with her arms around some guy, who was kissing her. "I guess that's my answer," he muttered. Rory led the guy back to their table and stopped.

"Tristan, this is my fiance, Charlie Todd. Charlie, this is Tristan DuGrey, an old friend," Rory introduced them. The two men exchanged pleasantries and Charlie said something in a whisper to Rory, who nodded.

"Sorry, Tristan, but we have to go. Nice meeting you," Charlie said.

"You too. Nice seeing you, Rory," Tristan said. 

"What, no Mary? It was good seeing you, Tristan. Here's my card. Call me!" Rory said with a jaunty wave. She and Charlie walked off, and as they were walking out of the cafe, she gave one last glance at Tristan.

"Regretting your decision?" Charlie asked, who had caught the glance. "Thinking about what could've been?"

"Of course not. I love you, Charlie. I was just thinking of what was..." Rory said. 

"You don't regret it?"

"No. Not in a million years."

"Good. I love you, too, Rory."


End file.
